Arizona State at California Expert College Football Picks 9/27/2019

Friday, September 27, 2019

California Memorial Stadium

Jayden Daniels and the Arizona State Sun Devils travel to California Memorial Stadium on Friday where they'll take on the California Golden Bears. Arizona State opens this game as 5-point dogs. The Sun Devils are 1-3-0 ATS and 1-3-0 when betting on the total. The Golden Bears are 1-3-0 when wagering on the over/under and 2-2-0 against the spread.

Key Arizona State Sun Devils Injuries

No key injuries to report

Key California Golden Bears Injuries

09/13/19 TE McCallan Castles Transferred has left team
09/10/19 OL Will Craig Lower Body is out for season

In their last game, the Arizona State Sun Devils took on the Colorado Buffaloes and took the loss by a score of 34-31. Eno Benjamin led the team on the ground in the game. He tore off a long run of 19 yards and he tallied 2 touchdowns in the game. He ran for a total of 83 yards on 20 carries which meant he averaged 4.2 yards per carry. Brandon Aiyuk was the receiving yardage leader by racking up 122 yards on 9 receptions. He notched an average of 13.6 yards per reception in the game. Leading the way at QB for the Sun Devils was Jayden Daniels who went 24/39 with 345 yards passing and tossed 2 touchdowns. He gave away 1 pick in the game. The Arizona State Sun Devils ran the football 28 times and earned 108 yards which had them averaging 3.9 yards per run. Overall, the Sun Devils racked up 21 first downs and they had a total of 3 infractions for 39 yards which means they were extremely disciplined in this game. Overall, they ran 67 plays which gave them a total of 453 yards. When it comes to their defensive performance, Arizona State gave up 23 catches on 30 tries for a total of 337 yards, and a completion percentage of 76.7%. For this contest, they allowed 475 yards and forced 1 turnover. In the running game, the Sun Devils gave up 138 yards on 40 carries giving the other team an average of 3.5 yards per run allowed.

The Sun Devils come into this game with a record of 3-0 in 2019. They are in the middle of the pack in regard to scoring in the nation with an average of 22.5 points per contest, ranking them 104th in college football. As a team, they are averaging 84.5 rushing yards per contest which is 10th in the Pac-12. For total yardage, they currently sit at 11th in the Pac-12 and 115th in college football with 1,066 yards. The Sun Devils have one of the top tier defenses in the country, giving up 13.8 points per game ranking them 2nd in the Pac-12 Conference. When it comes to yards through the air, the Sun Devils have allowed 728 yards. Opponents are completing 60.2% of the passes they throw against them and averaging 5.6 yards per attempt. In regard to rushing yards, Arizona State is allowing 68.8 yards per game ranking them 2nd in the conference and 9th in the country. They are allowing teams to run for an average of 2.8 yards per rush which has them at 2nd in the conference and 19th in D-1 overall. In total, they have allowed 275 rushing yards through 4 contests.

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In the last game they played, the California Golden Bears played the Ole Miss Rebels and won 28-20. Marcel Dancy paced the team in rushing for the game. He tore off a long run of 13 yards but he wasn't able to rush for a TD on the day. He ran for a total of 47 yards by way of 12 carries which meant he was running for 3.9 yards per tote. Jake Tonges was the leader in receiving yardage by earning 88 yards on 3 receptions. He notched an average of 29.3 yards per reception for the game. Running the show from under center for the Golden Bears was Chase Garbers who went 23/35 with 357 yards through the air and added 4 TD's. He walked away with 1 pick on the day. The California Golden Bears ran the ball a total of 33 times and totaled 60 yards which gave them an average of 1.8 yards per attempt. In the game, they totaled 69 plays for a total of 433 yards. On the day, the Golden Bears earned a total of 24 1st downs and they had 4 penalties for 30 yards which tells us that they had an average outing in terms of discipline. On the defensive side of the ball, California gave up 29 catches on 48 throws for a total of 348 yards, and a completion percentage of 60.4%. For this contest, they conceded 525 yards and forced 0 takeaways. On the ground, the Golden Bears gave up 177 yards on 38 carries which means they allowed 4.7 yards per carry allowed.

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The Golden Bears come into this matchup with a record of 4-0. California has built a respectable ground game this year by averaging 158.5 rushing yards per game, putting them 70th in D-1. As a unit, they have a total of 634 yards rushing through 4 contests, so they will want to continue to try to improve on the run game so opponents will have to respect all facets of the game. The Golden Bears average 371.3 yards per game overall putting them 88th in D-1 and 8th in the conference. The Golden Bears are allowing 17.3 points per game which puts them at 4th in the Pac-12 Conference and 27th in the nation. Their passing defense is one of the middling groups in college football. They are allowing 225.3 passing yards per contest. For yards through the air allowed per game, the Golden Bears are currently ranked 8th in the conference. In regard to points allowed, they have given up 69 total points. In regard to rushing yards, they are conceding 141.3 yards per game ranking them 64th in the nation and 9th in the Pac-12. This season, they have given up a total of 565 yards rushing and 4 rushing touchdowns.

Who will win tonight's Sun Devils/Golden Bears college football game against the spread?

Guy's Pick: Take the Golden Bears -5

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